Lang Hill

The walk up Lang Hill rewards you with proper views across the Firth of Clyde - on a clear day you can see right over to Bute and beyond. It's not a slog either, more of a steady climb from Dunoon that takes the better part of an hour if you're not rushing.

What you get is a 350-metre peak with the kind of vista that makes you understand why people bother with Scottish hills in the first place. The paths are well-trodden and manageable for anyone with reasonable fitness; families with older kids will have no trouble. Younger children might find it a bit tedious, though the reward at the top usually keeps them motivated.

Timing matters here. Go early morning before the midges arrive in summer, or on a crisp autumn day when the light's proper golden. Winter's fine too if you've got decent boots - the ground gets boggy after rain. Allow a couple of hours for the round trip including time to sit about and soak it in.

It's the sort of walk that slots nicely into a longer stay around Dunoon. The nearby holiday parks - Beach House Pods and Hunters Quay Holiday Village - both put you within spitting distance, and you can knock this out in a morning before heading to the beach or exploring the town itself. Not earth-shattering, but absolutely worth doing if you're based in the area. The Firth views alone justify the climb.